WORDS

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11 Obscure Expressions of Surprise We Should Bring Back

If you’re easily startled or just need some alternatives to “By the hammer of Thor!” and “Damn!,” read on for some old-timey outbursts.

20 Strategic Opening Words to Use in Wordle

If your Wordle game is feeling stale, these math-backed opening words could give the momentum you need.

Mistrust vs. Distrust: What’s the Difference?

Even the most well-respected dictionaries consider ‘mistrust’ and ‘distrust’ interchangeable. But people do tend to use them a little differently.

40 Brilliant Words That Begin With the Letter B

Battologize your friends by repeating these over and over again.

The Mysterious Origins of the Phrase ‘The Whole Nine Yards’

Linguists and lexicographers have truly gone the whole nine yards to uncover the origin of ‘the whole nine yards.’

11 Gaelic Loanwords to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

It's said that everyone gets to be a bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. In that case, it's only fair that everyone has a few words of Gaelic origin ready.

Incorporate these 'A' words into your vocabulary.

39 Amazing Words That Begin With the Letter 'A'

Don't be agelastic or an ashcat—these words will help even a budding abecedarian advance their vocabulary.

The situation has clearly gone from bad to worse.

How to Use Worse vs. Worst Correctly in 6 Common Phrases

What's the 'worse' or 'worst' that could happen if you use the wrong form of this commonly used word? Here's what to know.

Having to yell "Fore!" probably bodes ill for your score.

Why Do Golfers Yell 'Fore!' When Teeing Off?

It all started with forecaddies … or the military. Either way, ‘fore’ is the most succinct way to say “You might be about to get hit by an errant golf ball.”

If you know, you know. And if you don't know, this list should help.

15 Gen Z Slang Terms You Should Lowkey Know

Zoomers have revolutionized the slang game on- and offline with colorful terms like ‘stan’ and ‘She ate.’ But some are older than you think.

That wallpaper is giving us the willies.

Why Do We Say Something Gives Us 'The Willies'?

To get the willies is to feel a sudden onset of nervousness or skittishness. But why 'willie'? It may have something to do with itchy underwear.

What Does Goodbye Actually Mean?

You’re not really wishing someone a good ‘bye.’ ‘Bye’ is just an abbreviation—and ‘good’ is sort of a mistake.

These phrases likely came from some dark places.

8 Common Phrases with Surprisingly Dark Origins

From poisoning to warfare, these are the dark origin stories behind eight common phrases and idioms.

12 Fun Word Games To Try Now That You’re Obsessed With Wordle

If you're obsessed with Wordle, the popular online anagram game, check out these 12 fun word games, including "Scrabble," "Quiddler," and "Bananagrams."

Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman in Gaslight (1944).

The Forgotten Hollywood History Behind the Term Gaslighting

Before psychologists gave it a formal definition, ‘gaslighting’ just meant "what happened to Ingrid Bergman in the movie ‘Gaslight.'’’

Social media has helped create a thriving slang landscape.

From GOAT to Ghost: Here Are America’s 30 Most Googled Slang Terms

Maybe you know ‘GOAT,’ ‘FOMO,’ and ‘stan.’ But thanks in part to TikTok, slang is a little more complex than that these days.

Wordle is the new hotness in portable time-wasting.

Why the World Has Gone Wild for Wordle, According to a Philosophy Professor

The simple word game is like 'Wheel of Fortune' meets a crossword puzzle. And according to a philosophy professor, there's a clear reason we're obsessed with it.

These Ivy League Schools Have the Worst Spellers, According to Their Subreddits

Even a degree from an Ivy League college or university won't save you from embarrassing spelling mistakes.

15 Fun Slang Terms to Creatively Say You're Tired

If you’re so exhausted that saying “I’m tired” just doesn’t cut it, don’t worry—we have you covered.

This is actually frosting—not icing—on the cake.

What's the Difference Between Frosting and Icing?

There’s a reason people refer to “buttercream frosting” but don't often say “buttercream icing.”

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The Secret to Winning Wordle

Luck is a big element of Wordle, but there are skills and strategies you can use to win the new word game sweeping the internet.

Unclear whether this is a memoir or an autobiography.

What’s the Difference Between a Memoir and an Autobiography?

What’s an autobiography? The story of someone’s life as told by them—which isn’t exactly the same thing as a memoir.

This kid might be slaying the hill, but he's not sleighing it.

Sleigh vs. Sled: What's the Difference?

You might call anything you use to shoot down a snow-covered hill a sled, but there are some things that separate the two. Like reindeer.

Mispronunciations can strike at anytime.

Flubbed: The 13 Most Mispronounced Words of 2021

It's been a rough year for buzz words: Nothing is more cheugy than not being able to properly pronounce 'cheugy.'

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